Tuesday, March 29, 2016

I have been holding off posting these photos waiting on the release of the second issue of Classic Sewing Magazine. I am so very pleased that my project has been chosen for the cover. A big thank- you to Kathy and Phyllis for working so hard to produce this wonderful magazine,

I know very little about the giant quilting world but have been having a bit of fun with jelly rolls. A jelly roll is forty, 2 1/2" by 45"strips of coordinated fabric all rolled up in a cute little package. They look like this and are so much fun to work with.

The first version of the jacket and dress came to life on a visit to Becky's Barn (www.beckybarn.blogspot.com) in Tennessee. Becky (a completely fabulous quilter and all around great person) runs this wonderful retreat space with a quilting shop attached. 'Regent Street' from Moda immediately caught my eye and the first jelly roll jacket and dress was planned. Unfortunately, because fabric groups turn over so very quickly in the quilting world this particular group is no longer available. But the good news is new and lovely collections are always on the horizon.

On a teaching trip to Oregon I was lucky enough to have the perfect model and her perfect photographer mom volunteer to model and photograph the project. Many thanks to Gwen and her talented mom Virginia for these lovely photos. We never dreamed in the short time they were taken that the cover of a magazine was in the future for Gwen.

I have made the project up in two other Moda collections. There seems to be endless possibilities for placement of the different coordinating strips so each jelly roll will produce a unique result in the hands of each individual stitcher. You are the designer. The following photos are 'Hello Darling' and 'Hi-De-Ho' both from Moda. Both of these collections are currently available in quilt shops,

I have just added kits on my Etsy site (www.etsy.com/shop/gaildoane) for the following collections;

Summerfest (May 2016), Backyard Roses (May 2016), and Fresh Market (June 2016) will be added as they become available.

You can get a much better look at the fabrics in the various collections by going to www.unitednotions.com and typing the collection name in the search bar for the Moda collections and www.rileyblakedesigns.com for the Riley Blake collectons.

If you happen to have a stash of jelly rolls pull one out and give this project a try - one jelly roll will make up to a size 10 jacket with enough scraps left over for the trim on the angel sleeve, back belt, and scalloped hem of the dress. Keep stitching!

About Me

Gail was born and raised in Canada and now lives just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Mostly self-taught, she is detail oriented but prepared to 'break the rules'. A self-described heirloom sewing addict, Gail brings to the classroom 30 years of experience, having dressed seven children, and now an ever-expanding number of grandchildren, in beautiful heirloom clothing. Her work first appeared in Australian Smocking & Embroidery in 2000 and Inspirations in 2008.